Water pooling in guttering

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Effing long story.

Have been doing some work for a friend who has (now) fallen out with their neighbour.

Whilst there, the neighbour complained about the corner bracket on the return on their part of the porch. It was hanging down and there is a visible tidemark that shows that 20mm of water was pooling. As a favour, I adjusted the corner bracket/return.

I foolishly mentioned that there will always be a couple of mm of water that sits in the corner bracket.

The neighbour insists that there shouldn't be any standing water. When I popped back this evening her father said that the corner section gutter should have 2 sets of double gaskets that allow you to mitre the gutter.

I imagine that might have been the case years ago. I did explain that the fitting (made by Floplast has markings that say "run straight section up to this point".

Does any one know how long ago plastic gutters worked that way. I have offered to pour some kind of resin into the joint to prevent the 2 or 3 mm that will pool.

And yes I appreciate that 2mm of water in a gutter on a porch will evaporate pretty quickly. Like I said, it is a long story but she is talking about suing her neighbours, even though her previous gutter would have been the same...
 
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Gutters have never been mitred :unsure: though coincidentely I have to make some angles for my octagonal summer house and there are no fittings for the angle - so I do have to mitre the gutter and join somehow
 
Your friends neighbour is clearly nuts, and maybe her father would like to see what he could do?
I'm sure you've done your friend a fine service mate, but keep out of disputes - and that includes the resin......it will just pool the water further back.
On the very rare occasions I've been threatened with legal action, I've said 'fine - but I'll go for costs so its up to you'. It usually frightens them off.
John :)
 
Gutters have never been mitred :unsure: though coincidentely I have to make some angles for my octagonal summer house and there are no fittings for the angle - so I do have to mitre the gutter and join somehow

Thanks Nige F,

I forgot to mention that this is square guttering, not round.

I think that he was suggesting that the corner bracket was/were designed to allow the straight section of gutter to run further into the corner bracket, where it could then be mitred.

BTW

http://www.guttering-expert.co.uk/guttering-octagonal-roof-gazebo.html
 
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Your friends neighbour is clearly nuts, and maybe her father would like to see what he could do?
I'm sure you've done your friend a fine service mate, but keep out of disputes - and that includes the resin......it will just pool the water further back.
On the very rare occasions I've been threatened with legal action, I've said 'fine - but I'll go for costs so its up to you'. It usually frightens them off.
John :)

Thanks John,

The side return on the gutter is only about 40cm. The 2cm of water was only pooling because the person that put it up had left the corner bracket bending downwards. It really was very noticeable. The return had been cut slightly too long and hence distorted the corner join.


The need for resin? My "fault", after correcting the gutter return/corner, I explained that you often find one or two mm sitting in joins in plastic guttering and that the water just evaporates away and as such isn't a problem.

Yesterday, after her father (who I believe used to run a double glazing company) told me that the firm should have run the straight section all the way into the corner bracket, I explained that there are markings and a line that say "run to this point" and raised tabs that prevent the gutter being inserted too far.

I suspect I now understand what he means. Although there are tabs, yes it would be possible to cut away the upper parts of the straight gutter whilst keeping the lower section, which could then be mitred inside the corner bracket. That however strikes me as being both overkill and contrary to the manufacturers instructions. I was just wondering if the earlier uPVC gutters actually required that technique- I can't recall having ever seen evidence of it.

It was him that said that his daughter would be "happy" if the void/dip was filled. I suggested pouring in resin. I don't anticipate that pooling will be an issue elsewhere. Bar the corner, the gutter/return seems to have be installed correctly.

Regarding legal action, yes she has threatened to have the new guttering (which my friends paid for, along with a new fascia) replaced with new guttering and then seek recompense in the courts...

My friends asked me, on Tuesday, if i would be willing to sort out the gutter return. I was under the impression that the neighbour and I had a good rapport. I didn't have a long enough ladder with me on Tuesday so i didn't do it that day. it wasn't leaking so I assumed it would be fine to wait until Saturday. Boy, was I wrong.

I take your advice on-board but I will still go with the resin. It will (hopefully) help to resolve one of the current "issues".

However, with hindsight, I wish that I had not got involved.
 
For sure, we've all been there.....sometimes the guttering has such a long run that there is always pooling at some point - so long as the water never runs over the back edge onto the facia I can't see any genuine issues.
I hope you don't get involved in any argument but so long as the neighbour agrees with what you are doing you should be in the clear. It just shows how people can turn about when it suits them - a ghastly trait.
Be lucky
John :)
 
Thanks John.

just need to work out what UV safe pourable resin to use..
 
Are you putting this resin in your friends or your friends neighbor's gutting?
Why would your friend be responsible for his neighbors guttering?
 
Thanks for the link, opps(y) won't pay for the gutter as I have some already - But the plastic Rain Chain is a good one that I'll get
 
Are you putting this resin in your friends or your friends neighbor's gutting?
Why would your friend be responsible for his neighbors guttering?

It will be the corner bracket on her guttering.

He paid to have her guttering replaced, and a new fascia board fitted. It's only a porch so we aren't taking about a massive span.

For the record, when he purchased the place. It had a ugly enclosed timber structure under the porch. His neighbour purchased her property knowing that the ugly structure was (partially) sitting on her land. Shortly after, she had a new front wall built between the two properties. The wall deviated past the first pier accommodate the deviance.

He recently had the ugly (under) porch structure replaced. Unfortunately, the company replacing it didn't notice that the old structure was at least 32.75" past the party line. Understandably the neighbour complained. The firm shifted the structure back the next day.

They had however removed the centre porch support. The neighbour wanted it back. Again I completely understand why. The timber support was approx 3" wide. I was commissioned to replace it. I asked my friend for the neighbour's phone number so that I could arrange/confirm access to the front garden. I explained that it would be a timely process. I would cut it, offer it up, take it home, trim it, bring it back, offer it up, take it home, trim it, and then paint it, fit it etc etc etc.

She seemed to be happy with every thing. I would turn up, we would have a chat and with the cup of tea that she would offer. Then she noticed the guttering was askew.

My friends asked me if would sort it out. They had paid for it so as far as they were concerned , they were responsible. I was happy to take the job on. I liked the neighbour. Unfortunately, as soon as I took "ownership" of the guttering I seem to have become part of the global conspiracy against her.

I received a few texts from her telling me that she had seen youtube videos that show you how to cut mitres in to gutters. The videos however are relevant to extruded metal gutters and not plastic gutters, she was not happy when I told her that. She no longer engages in conversation and today I discovered that she told my client (read: friend) this morning that i am creepy.

Frankly, I just want to find a product that I can can pour into the join and then hopefully never have to deal with her again.

I appreciate that it should not be necessary to use any such product and that it will invalidate the warranty, but that is what she wants.
 
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